He wants this more than we do

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Its true. It is one of the great themes of scripture- God desiring to be with a people that don’t desire Him nearly as much. Just read the Prophets. A Dad wanting to be with His kids, a wild lover desiring the committed affection of His beloved (whichever paradigm you can dial into easier), He wants US!

We must keep this ever present in our minds that this “thing” that we are all apart of is not an end unto itself. King David’s desire wasn’t to create a new religious ritual when he built his tabernacle. In an almost “childlike” way, like when a poor kid finally makes it big as professional athlete and then wants to build a big old house for his parents, David saw himself living in a palace and wanted to build a place for his Father to live. Israel already had a good “prayer and worship model” set up by Moses; they didn’t need a “new model”. They needed the simple heart of David. They needed to desire the Lord with all their hearts, soul, mind, and strength.

Here in the West, we have a real hard time with this. We just can’t seem to think beyond the world’s systems of thinking; and I take personal responsibility for that because I have fell victim to it as well. The world’s way of thinking is to see a goal and then copy the process in order to achieve the same goal. The Church in the West has been stuck in this mindset for too long. There are no doubt Pastors around the country getting back from Lakeland, Florida and heading to the tattoo shop to get some sweet ink like Todd Bentley, or setting up their stage in the exact manner, thinking that by copying a pattern that they will get the same result.

The Lord is raising up a “living body”, an organism, and not an organization. Our tendency to default to creating organizations stems from our fear of losing control. “Organizations” are organized, neat, and are designed perfectly for man to receive honor at their success. “Organisms”, on the other hand, are defined as “a living structure capable of growth and reproduction”, and sometimes their growth and reproduction is a little bit out of control!

1 Peter 2:4-6 says, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

“Tabernacle of David” worship, “24-7 Prayer”, “harp and bowl, and “revival meetings” cannot be our “end all” motivation in our cities. If we build a movement around these things, we will have successfully built an organization, maybe even a good one, but not a house built of “living stones” upon the “Living Stone”.

Here in the Twin Cities, I’m seeing people dial into the reality that they are the “tabernacle”. About 6 months ago, I got together with several of the 13, 24-7 prayer/worship ministries in our state and asked the question, “Why don’t we all just get together, worship and pray regularly?” They agreed that it was good, and we did it. We do “it” every week at the same place with the entire city invited for 4-6 hours (going twice a week this month). Of the 50-80 “living stones” that come together every week for this, a good percentage of us get together in a living room at a big house with 100 other college students and young adults every Tuesday night and do “it” . Some of those get together on their college campuses and do “it”, or go to the mall or hospitals, or just on the streets and do “it”. Is “it” the Burn? Yes, it is. But it’s also your home, your job, your campus, your marriage, your local church. It’s you- the living tabernacle made up of flesh and bones and designed in the likeness of our Father and being indwelled with His Spirit. It’s wild, it’s out of control, and it reproduces.

It is the body of Christ in action.

It is the Creator inhabiting His creation.

That is the end all. (Revelation 21) That is what you must pursue with absolute abandonment. That is what must fuel your set a 3 am! That is your fuel for staying up for 36 hours straight: to get a glimpse into the eternal throne room of the Omnipotent, Uncreated, King of the Universe and to be overwhelmed by His inhabitation of you!

The time is short, and His final inhabitation is coming! So “burn” like you’ve never “burned” before. Offer yourself to him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), not confined to any setting, but “burning” everywhere. From late night shift at the Burn, to the late night shift on the assembly line, let Him inhabit you. He is no more pleased with one than the other! From traveling the world to minister to poor, to traveling down the street to bring a meal to a neighbor, let Him inhabit you. He is no more pleased with one than the other, for it is only living sacrifices that please Him! God was just a pleased with David’s worship in the field as He was with David’s worship in the palace.

I believe that within this year, many of our Burn cities will get buildings donated to them. Some may even go 24-7-365! I know its possible here in the Twin Cities. But let us remember, that when we say “He wants this more than we do,” that what He wants isn’t a building of stone or brick, but a people that He can have companionship with.